Sail



United States Patent O 3,269,343 SAIL Isaac F. Manchester, Ir., South Dartmouth, Mass., assignor to Manchester Yacht Sails, Inc., South Dartmouth, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,401 1S Claims. (Cl. 114-104) This invention relates to a sail and more particularly to means for furling and unfurling a sail.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved sail embodying novel self-contained furling and unfurling means which is characterized by separable and interengageable readily releasable means for enabling a sail to be furled yand unfurled in a rapid and eicient manner.

The invention has for a further object to provide a sail :and particularly a spinnaker embodying novel and improved means for furling and unfurling the spinnaker and for froglegging the same in a rapid and elicient manner.

The invention has for another object to provide a sail of the character specied embodying self-contained reeling means.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the sail embodying self-contained furling and unfnrling means as hereinafter described and fully defined in the claims at the end of this specication. i

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a spinnaker sail embodying the present invention showing the sail in its unfurled condition;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same showing the sail in its furled -condition and showing the furled frog legs; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing how the sail in its furled condition is tied at the junction of the frog legs ready to be broken to permit unfurling and setting of the sail.

In general, the present invention contemplates a sail embodying novel and improved self-contained readily re-leasable fastening means for enabling a sail to be furled and unfurled in a rapid and convenient manner. The present releasable fastening means is particularly adapted for use as a so-called spinnaker turtle wherein the sail may be rapidly and efficiently folded upon itself, or gathered between readily detachable fastening elements and secured in the form of an elongated tube defined by a portion of the sail itself and which cannot be accidenta-lly released by the pressure of the wind when the sail is hoisted and which may be rapidly released to permit the furled sail to be set with a minimum of time and effort being expended.

The present invention comprises an improvement in the sail embodying releasable fastening elements, as illus* trated `and described in my United States Patent No. 3,157,149, issued November 17, 1964. In my prior patent, a spinnaker sail is illustrated as provided with spaced elongated Zipper chains secured centrally and longitudinally of the sail. In practice, such prior structure of sail embodying readily releasable fastening means has provide eminently successful for fur-ling and rapidly unfurling sails. However, in certain instances on larger sailing crafts, in order to enable a spinnaker to be set and trimmed rapidly, it is preferred to stop or furl the sail in the so-called frogleg manner wherein the foot of the sail is gathered and furled from the tack and clew toward the longitudinal center line of the foot portion of the sail to provide elongated tubular frog legs, the remainder of the sail being furled from the head longitudinally.

In accordance with the present invention, the sail embodying the spaced zipper chains arranged centrally and longitudinally of the sail is provided with a second pair of spaced zipper chains arranged transversely of the sail kadjacent the foot thereof. This structure enables the sail to be furled and froglegged. The sail material adjacent the foot is gathered and furled inwardly from the tack and clew and is enclosed by the area of cloth between the spaced transverse chains on both sides of the longitudinal center line of the sail to provide a pair of tubular frog ylegs .along the foot of the sail. Thereafter, the remainder of the sail is gathered and enclosed by the area of the sail between the longitudinally and centrally extended spaced Zipper chains when the teeth of the chains are engaged. The portions of the thus folded sail at the junction of the longitudinal tube and frog legs is then secured with a piece of yarn or rotten string to prevent unintentional unfurling of the sail until it is desired to set the sail.

The novel structure of sail embodying both longitudinal and transverse, separable, interengageable and readily releasable fastening elements in accordance with the present invention provides a novel yand improved manner of stopping a spinnaker in the frogleg manner. The advantages of froglegging a spinnaker are Well known, the principal advantage being a saving of valuable time in trimming the sail as it is broken out and set. In practice, when a sail is furled in a frogleg manner, the outer end or clew of one leg is attached to the guy and is held in position by the spinnaker pole also attached to the clew or the guy extending from and swivelly secured to the mast. The spinnaker sheet is secured to the tack at the end of the other frog leg. In operation the sheet |and guy are attached to the tack and clew, respectively, and the outer end of the pole is secured to either the tack or clew, depending upon the position the sail is to be set relative to the direction of the wind. The sail is hoisted, and the frog leg attached to the sheet is permitted to extend toward and even around the head stay lof the boat. Thus, it will be apparent that the length of the sheet which must be trimmed in in order to properly set the spinnaker is reduced substantially. Thus, the time required to winch in the sheet is reduced.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a spinnaker embodying the .present invention and which is provided with a ring 12 at head 14 of the sail to which a halyard may be attached in any conventional manner for hoisting the sail into position. A ring 16 connected to the tack 1S is provided for attaching the same to a sheet, not shown, and a ring 2t) is connected to the clew 21 for attachment to the spinnaker pole and guy not shown. In accordance with the present invention, the 'spinnaker 10 is provided with self-contained furling or stopping means for effecting a frogleg type of furl and includes longitudinally extended spaced fastening elements 22, 24 and a second pair of spaced fastening elements 26, 28 extending transversely along the foot 30 of the sail 'as shown. The fastening elements, herein shown as zipper chains, are sewn or otherwise secured to one surface of the sai-l with the teeth of the spaced chains extending in yopposite directions relative to each other. The longitudinally extended spaced zipper chains 22, 24 extend from 4a position adjacent the head 14 of the spinnaker and terminate .at a point a short distance above the foot thereof. In order to facilitate the initial interengagernent of the teeth 32, 34 of the zipper chains, tabs 36, 38 are secured to the upper ends of the chains as shown in FIG. 1. The transversely extended spaced zipper chains 26, 28 extend along the foot of the sailV and terminate short of the tack and clew ends thereof as shown. Each end of the transversely extended chains may also be provided with tabs 40, 42, respectively, by which the teeth 44, 46 of the spaced chains may be aligned preparatory to the initial interengagement thereof.

In order to stop or furl the sail in the frogleg manner to provide extended legs, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the sail material above and adjacent the foot of the sail is gathered under and into the area between the spaced zipper chains 26, 28 from the tack and the clew portions respectively. The zipper chains on one side of the center line of the sail are then folded around the initially gathered portions of the sail, and the outerends of the zipper chains on said one side are aligned by superimposing tabs 40, 42. The teeth are then engaged by a suitable zipper engaging tool which may comprise a tool of the type shown in my Patent No. 3,157,149 above referred to. The tool comprises a pair of pliers, the jaws of which are provided with cooperating slider members which are adapted to engage the `opposed zipper chains to progressively urge the teeth into interengaging relation as pressure is applied, and the pliers are drawn inwardly toward the center of the sail to enclose the lower portions on one side of the sail in a tubular casing 48 formed by the said fabric in the area between the spaced chains to provide one of the frog legs as indicated at 50. The same procedure is then followed on the other side of the center line of the sail adjacent the foot thereof to enclose the gathered portions of the sail in a tubular form 52 to provide the other frog leg as indicated at 54. Since the zipper chains terminate short of the tack and clew portions 18, 2:1, respectively, of the sail, it will be seen that these portions are not enclosed but are free to be connected to the spinnaker pole, guy and sheet. The longitudinally extended portions of the sail are then furled by gathering the same inwardly from its marginal edges 56, 58 under and into the area between the longitudinally arranged zjpper chains 22, 24. In practice, the zipper chains 22, 24 are folded around the initially gathered portions of the sail, and the tabs 36, 38 are superimposed one upon the other and held between the fingers so that the teeth at the upper end of the chains are brought together and substantially aligned. The pliers provided with the slide elements are then positioned to engage the opposed chains at the head portion 14, and pressure is applied to initially clamp and interengage the leading teeth between the jaws. Thereafter, as the pliers are drawn downwardly, the said material on both sides is progressively gathered and drawn between the spaced chains and is enclosed within the area of the sail between the spaced chains as the teeth are progressively interengaged, thus forming a longitudinally extended tube 60. It will be understood that the area between the spaced chains of both the longitudinal and transverse fastening elements may be substantially equal to the circumference of the sail material gathered and enclosed therebetween.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the teeth at the lower ends of the chains 22, 24 are left unengaged, and the teeth of the intermediate portion 62 of the transverse chains are also unengaged and wrapped about the lower end of the longitudinal tube 60 to provide a compact frogleg furled sail which is readily releasable to permit rapid unfurling and setting of the sail. lIn practice, the aligning tabs 36, 38 at the upper ends of the longitudinal chains 22, 24 and tabs 40, 42 at the ends of the transverse chains may be folded into pockets 43 and 64 provided on the sail adjacent the ends of each of the spaced fastening members as shown in FIG. 1. In order to prevent the stopped or furled sail from prematurely breaking out, a portion of one of the frog legs is folded up against the longitudinal tube above the junction of the frog legs and is secured in such position by a piece of brealsable yarn 66 as illustrated in FIG. 3. It will be understood that in FIG. 3 the zipper chains on the right hand leg 50 are shown disengaged below the normal point of engagement in order to illustrate that the lower ends of the longitudinal chains 22, 24 are disengaged. Normally, the teeth on the leg 50 are engaged to snugly enclose the tube 60, as shoiwn in FIG. 2, prior to tying the junction. Thus, the main body of the sail as well as the froglegged portions are releasably secured in compact tubular form ready for use. The stopped or furled sail may then be used in the conventional manner hereinbefore described.

It will be apparent that the present novel and improved self-contained stopping or furling means not only greatly facilitates the stopping and setting operation but in addition substantially reduces the possibility of the sail being damaged.

In a modified yform of the present invention also illustrated in FIG. 1, novel means is provided for shortening or reefing the sail which comprises -securing two leng-ths of zipper chain 70, 72 to the surface of the sail along a line spaced upwardly from the lfoot 62 thereof. As shown, one length 70 extends inwardly from edge 56 toward zipper chain 22, and the other length 72 extends inwardly from edge 58 toward chain 24. As shoiwn, the chains terminate a short distance from chains 22, 24. The teeth 74 of each chain face and extend parallel to the foot of the sail. Another length of zipper chain 76 is secured to the opposite surface of the sail in spaced relation above and parallel to chains 70, 72. The teeth 78 of chain 76 also face toward the foot of the sail and carry sli-ders 80, 82 adapted to urge the teeth of each chain into interengagement and to disengage the same when it is desired to do so. Clews 84, 86 are provided along the edges 56, 58 of the sail between .the chains 70, 72 and 76, respectively, and have grommets 88, 90 to enable the sheet and lguy lines, not shown, to be attached thereto for .use in the manner hereinbefore described in connection with the preferred embodiment of the invention. The area 92 o-f the sail between the spaced zipper chains may be widened or narrowed, depending upon the amount of sail material between the foot of the sail and chains 70, 72 which determines the extent the sail is to be shortened.

In practice, when it is desired to reef the sail, the sail material is Vrolled or tightly gathered from the foot 62 under and into area 92 between chains 70, 72 and 76. In this manner the teeth 74 of chains 70, 72 are brought into engagement with the teeth 78 of chain 76 and interengaged therewith by drawing sliders 80, 82 inwardly toward the center of the sail. Thus, the total area of the sail is neatly and compactly shortened or reefed by an amount equal to the area of ysail below zipper chains 70, 72. Whenever it is desired to break out the reef, the sliders are drawn outwardly toward the edges of the sail, and the zipper teeth disengaged, thus freeing the sail material enclosed with area 92.

It will be apparent that the sail reefed in the manner described may also be stopped or furled and unfurled by Iutilizing the longitudinally extended zipper chains 22, 24 in the manner described in my United States Patent No. 3,157,149, issued November 17, 1964, the furled sail including the reefed portion being gathered in tubular form.

Prom the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel and improved -sail embodying separable and interengageable and readily releasable means for furling, unfurling and whenever desired reeng the sail whereby the sail may be furled in a frogleg manner and broken out rapidly and efciently for use or in a modied form of the invention furled and unfurled rapidly and eliiciently.

While the present separable and interengageable and readily releasable fastening means has been herein described as comprising a zipper, it is intended that other continuous separable, interengageable and readily releasable fastening me-ans may be used.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will .be understood that the invention may be embodied in other yforms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

11. A sail embodying self-contained furlin-g and unfurling means, said furling means comprising a first fastening means including two `longitudinally extended, spaced separable and interengageable fastening elements secured to the sail, and a second fastening means including two similar spaced fastening elements extended transversely of the sail, portions of the sail adjacent said transversely 'extended fastening elements being gathered within the area of the sail between said transversely extended elements and enclosed therein upon engagement of the interengaging means to provide a pair of elongated tubes, the remainder of the sail being gathered within the portion of the sail between the longitudinally extended fastening elements and enclosed therein upon engagement of the interengaging means, thereby furling the sail, said sail being readily unfurled upon disengagement of said fastening elements.

2. A sail embodying a self-contained furling and unfunling means, said furling means comprising a first fastening means including two longitudinally extended, spaced separable and interengageable fastening elements secured medially of the sail and a second fastening means including two similar spaced, transversely extended fastening elements secured adjacent the lower edge of the sail, portions of the sail adjacent said transversely extended fastening elements being gathered ywithin the area of the sail between said transversely extended elements and enclosed therein upon engagement of the interengaging means to provide a pair of elongated tubes, the remainder of the sail being gathered within the portion of the sail between the longitudinally extended fastening elements and enclosed therein upon en-gagement of the interengaging means, thereby furling the sail, said sail being readily unfurled upon disengagement of said fastening elements.

3. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfurling means as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second fastening means comprise spaced Zipper chains.

4. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfurling means for a frogle-g type of furled sail adapted to be rapidly furled and unfurled, said furling means comprising elongated fastening devices including two longitudinally extended -spaced chains having quiclcly releasable interengaging means thereon secured to and disposed mediallly of the sail, and two similar spaced chains extended transversely adjacent the lower edge of the sail, portions of the sail adjacent said lower edge being gathered under the portion of the sail between the transversely extended chains on both sides of the longitudinal center of the sail and enclosed thereby upon engagement of the interengaging means to provide a frog leg on each side, the remainder of the sail being gathered within the portion of the sail between the longitudinally extended chains and enclosed thereby upon engagement of the interengaging means.

5. A sail as defined in claim 4 wherein the longitudinally extended spaced chains extend from the upper end of the sail and terminate a short distance above the lower edge of the sail, and wherein the transversely extended chains terminate inwardly a short distance from each lower corner of the sail.

6. A sail as defined in claim 4 wherein the lower ends of said longitudinally extended chains are unengaged for a short distance and the medial portion of said transversely extended chains are unengaged and wrapped around the lower end of said longitudinally extended enclosed portion.

7 A sail as defined in claim 4 wherein the furling means is quickly releasable and the sail unfurled by the application of an abrupt rpull on one or both of said frog legs.

8. A sail embodying self-contained furling means `for forming a frogleg type of furled sail adapted to be rapidly furled and unfurled, said furling means comprisin-g elongated fastening devices including two longitudinally extended spaced chains having quickly releasable interengaging means thereon secured to and disposed medially of the longitudinal edges of the sail, and two similar spaced chains extending transversely adjacent the lower edge of the sail, portions of the sail adjacent said lower edge being gathered under and within the area of the sail between said spaced transverse chains to form tubular enclosures on each side comprising frog legs, the interengaging means at the medial portion of said transverse chains being unengaged, the remainder of the sail being gathered under and within the area of the sail between the longitudinally extended chains to form a tubular enclosure upon engagement of the interengaging means, the interengaging means at the lower end of said longitudinal tubular enclosure being unengaged for a short distance, and the unengaged medial .portion of said transverse chains being wrapped around the unengaged portion of said lower end of the longitudinal tubular enclosure forming a junction with said frog legs.

9. A sail as defined in claim 8 which includes breakable means for securing said wrapped portion about said lower end at said junction to retain and maintain the sail n its furled condition until said breakable means is broken and the interengageable fastening means released to unfurl the sail.

1i?. A sail as defined in claim 9 wherein the sail comprises a spinnaker Iadapted for connection to a halyard, spinnaker pole, guy and sheet, said frog legs being extended substantially horizontally coextensive with the sheet when ythe spinnaker is hoisted in its furled condition whereby to substantially shorten the length of sheet to be hauled in when the sail is unfurled.

11. A sail as defined in claim 5 wherein the longitudinally spaced chains extend from the upper end of the sail and terminate a short distance above the lower edge thereof, and wherein the transversely extended chains terminate inwardly a short distance -from each lower corner of the sail, said interengaging means being engaged starting at the lower corners of the transverse chains and progressively interengaging the chains toward -t-he center, and then starting at the top of the longitudinally extended chains and progressively interengaging the chains toward the lower end.

12. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfurl` ing means, said means comprising a first fastening means including two spaced, longitudinally extended separable and interengageable and disengageable fastening elements, and a second fastening means spaced above the foot of the sail including a plurality of transversely extended, separable and interengageable and disengageable fastening elements, portions of the sail below said transversely extended fastening elements being gathered and enclosed within the area of the sail between said elements -upon interengagement of said interengaging means whereby to reef the sail and released therefrom upon disengagement thereof.

13. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfurling means as defined in claim 12 wherein said first and second fastening means comprise spaced zipper chains and means for engaging and disengaging the teeth of said chains.

14. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfurling means, said means comprising a first fastening means including two spaced, longitudinally extended separable and interengageable and disengageable at will fastening elements, and a second fastening means spaced from the foot of the sail including two spaced, transversely extended, sepa-fable and interengageable and disengageable at will fastening elements, the portion of the sail below said .transversely extended fastening elements being gathered and enclosed within the area between said spaced transversely extended elements upon interengagernent of said interengaging means to reerf the sail, and the remainder of the sail being gathered within the area of the sail between the longitudinally extended fastening elements and enclosed ltherein upon engagement of lche engaging means whereby to furl the reef/ed sail, said reefed sail being extended fastening elements.

15. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfurling means, said means comprising a plurality of fastening means, a first fastening means including two spaced, 1ongitudinally extended separable and interengageable and disengageable at wlill fastening elements secured to a surface o-f the sail, a second fastening means including two spaced, transversely extended separable and interengageable and disengageable at will fastening elements secured to the sail adjacent the 4foot thereof, and an intermediate fastening means including two cooperating transversely extended separable and interengageable and disengageable at will fastening elements secured to the said in spaced relation t each other and between the second fastening means and the head of the sail, said plurality of fastening means adapted to enclose portions of the sail within the areas between the cooperating-fastening elements to furl and/ or reef the sail upon engagement of the interengageab'le fastening elements and to release the sail therefrom upon disengagement of said fastening means.

16. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfurling means as described in claim 15 wherein the cooperating fastening elements of said intermediate fastening means are secured to opposed surfaces of the sail.

17. A sail embodying self-contained furling and unfunling means as described in claim 15 wherein one cooperating fastening element of said intermediate fastening means extends from adjacent one edge of the sail to the other edge, and the other cooperating fastening element comprises two parts, e-ach part extending from an edge of the sail and terminating Iadjacent the longitudinally extended fastening elements of the rst fastening means.

18. A sail embodying self-contained fu'rlin-g and unfurling means as described in claim 15 wherein each of said plurality of fastening means comprises spaced zipper chains and means for engaging the cooperating teeth of said chains.

No references cited.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SAIL EMBODYING SELF-CONTAINED FURLING AND UNFURLING MEANS, SAID FURLING MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST FASTENING MEANS INCLUDING TWO LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDED, SPACED SEPARABLE AND INTERENGAGEABLE FASTENING ELEMENTS SECURED TO THE SAIL, AND A SECOND FASTENING MEANS INCLUDING TWO SIMILAR SPACED FASTENING ELEMENTS EXTENDED TRANSVERSELY OF THE SAIL, PORTIONS OF THE SAIL ADJACENT SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDED FASTENING ELEMENTS BEING GATHERED WITHIN THE AREA OF THE SAIL BETWEEN SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDED ELEMENTS AND ENCLOSED THEREIN UPON ENGAGEMENT OF THE INTERENGAGING MEANS TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF ELONGATED TUBES, THE REMAINDER OF THE SAIL BEING GATHERED WITHIN THE PORTION OF THE SAIL BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDED FASTENING ELEMENTS AND ENCLOSED THEREIN UPON ENGAGEMENT OF THE INTERENGAGING MEANS, THEREBY FURLING THE SAIL, SAID SAIL BEING READILY UNFURLED UPON DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID FASTENING ELEMENTS. 